The Ender: Omega of the Tyrant
by The Other-Ender
Summary: The story of a boy kidnapped and raised by Endermen. Will he be able to survive? Or will he fail, along with his captor's prophecy? Rated T for language and violence. -Currently taking OCs (Read Requirements before submitting characters, thanks)
1. Chapter 1: Stolen

**A/N: This is my first story EVAR. Seriously, EVAR. I'm nervous about this, so I'll start by giving some backstory. My name, the Other-Ender, comes from a book I'm writing involving dimensions and stuff (I got Minecraft long after I began using my username), but people always assume.**

"**Bubut there's these things called Endermen in Minecraft! So his name must mean Minecraft cuz it has Ender in it!"**

**Some passive-aggressive Comic Sans for ya. Anyway, on that assumption, someone said I should write the backstory for my name. So I chose to write a story using half my name.**

**Also: a couple of these characters and the anatomy/physiology of the Endermen were based off of characters from Mellifluousness' story **_**Ears to Hear Us**_**, my personal favorite Minecraft fanficton.**

**All begging aside, here's my story. This is chapter one of THE ENDER.**

The Ender

Two Endermen crept silently through the largest forest in the Overworld. It spanned three different biomes—birch, dark oak, and taiga forests –and at the spot where the biomes met laid the powerful fortress of Forresthomme. The night was black as pitch, and the only light was that of the luminous violet dust circling the two Endermen.

{"Are we really doing this, Elder?"} spoke the first, in Endertongue, {"Are we really going to steal a human hatching?"}

{"Of course we are. How else are we to fulfill the prophecy?"} spoke Elder.

{"But from this accursed place? The humans here will kill us on sight!"}

{"'The child that comes from the strongest enemy shall yield the greatest peace.'"} quoted the other.

{"Damn you and your knowledge of that accused prophecy. Are we sure we couldn't take a child from Blackleaf? Or Oakenfield?"}

{"Do I need to quote the prophecy again, boy?"} hissed the other, {"look, Forresthomme approaches."}

{"Don't call me boy, dammit, I'm only on hundred years younger than you. And"} he added, on sudden recollection, {"If I recall correctly, I was pearled fifty years before you."}

{"Pfeh. The pearling ceremony is flawed. Now be quiet if you want to keep your hide."}

The two Endermen approached the worn stone-brick wall of Forresthomme from behind the thick curtain of Dark Oak branches. Ducking behind a two block wide Dark Oak, they quickly relayed the plan.

{"All right,"} began the eldest of the two, {"Firstly, I will remove the blocks in a two-block space over at the left corner of the wall, distracting the guards. Then, when they rush to investigate, you warp onto the top tower, and into the town. Grab a hatchling, even if it still clings to it's mother, and get out of there. Understand, Younger?"}

In response, Younger simply nodded.

[]

Jaeger wished he had never joined the guard. In fact, he wished that he had never even got out of bed. It was just his luck that, on his sister's birthday, he got the night shift. Oh well, at least he didn't have to find her a present next year. But what could he do? It was like they said, the first night on guard is the hardest night on guard (he hoped).

As he sat in the middle of the Wall, he counted himself lucky that he wasn't assigned to the the Taiga-side wall. He would rather be at the top of the non-frozen side of this spiky-ass wall than on the side where men returned from duty with icicles dangling from their beards.

The next few minutes passed uneventfully, save for the sergeant, an ill-tempered old bastard, chewing him out for nodding off. As he watched the sarge strut off, looking pleased with himself, Jaeger muttered under his breath for the sarge to drop dead. And so he did. Almost.

Elder watched the fifteen-block high wall crumble as he pulled out the last block. Ignoring the groaning man in the rubble, he dashed back into the woods, glancing to see if Younger was ready.

Younger watched the brick wall crumble. He waited a few seconds before teleporting on top of the nearest building. He realized then that he had made a horrid mistake.

"Enderman!" screeched a woman, "Enderman on the roof!"

_{"Shrveu."} _Younger cursed under his breath. He warped to the nearest building with a loud _zzztp_, scanning the crowd that had gathered at the woman's cry.

_Hatchling, hatchling, where's the k'vreking hatchling? _He thought anxiously, scanning the crowd intensely. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally saw a woman clutching a young boy to her chest. He knew what he had to do. With a loud _zzztp, _he warped in front of her. Quickly she averted her eyes, making all too easy for Younger to roughly snatch her child from her grasp. Warping quickly back outside the gates, he ran to tell Elder of his success.

"Are you _insane_!?" Jaeger was yelling at a guard, who had just fired two arrows, one into the woods at one Enderman, and then into the crowd at the other. "You could have shot someone! You could have even _killed –" _He stopped mid gesture. Someone _had _been shot.

"Rose!" Jaeger yelled, jumping down the wall.

{"Brother!"} cried Younger, running to Elder.

Jaeger ran to his sister, who sat in the fetal position, arrow protruding viciously from her stomach.

Younger kneeled next to his brother, who lay gasping, an arrow imbedded in his chest.

"Jaeger, is that you?" groaned the sister, who was now bleeding profusely.

{"Younger...?"} wheezed Elder, Pearl obviously broken.

"Jaeger… they took… my baby…" Rose gasped, eyes fading.

{"Younger… did you get the hatching…?"} coughed Elder, the particles surrounding him dissipating.

"Find my child… bring him back…" said Rose, sighing, and dying.

{"Fulfil… the prophecy…"} said Elder, as he did the same.

And so, on both sides of a broken wall, two lights were snuffed out, and two voices wailed in despair.

**A/N: Wow. One chapter in and I've already killed two OC's. Don't worry, Nothing like this is going to happen again for a while (epic foreshadowing). Anyway, since Younger's brother (plot twist!) is dead, he is now called Only, as he is now the only brother left. I apologize for the melodramatic ending to this chapter. Anyway, If you have any questions/suggestions for me or the characters, please let me know in the comments. Hotchas, **

** -Ender**


	2. Chapter 2: Delivered

** A/N: Two OCs dead… It's a tragedy really. I would like to apologize for… heheheh… I would like to… hahaha... to… to… HAHAHA HA HAHA… I can't… I can't… heheh HA HA ohh… ohh… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… whoo. Killing characters is more fun than I expected**

** Phew… Now that I've gotten that out of the way… The Ender's coming up! No, not me, the main OC (I keep saying OC cuz I can't spell character without autocorrect. It's tedious). I have the general idea, but there is some writer's blerk. SO. YA BUNCH A WEE LASSES READY FOR ANOTHER CHAPTAR? **

**(P.S Quick Thank you to Flu, it's nice to see someone willing to help the new kid on the block.)**

Younger (was he still Younger? He didn't have an elder brother anymore) looked at the young human cradled in his long fingers. It lay perfectly still, chest rising and falling slowly. It was so small, so delicate, and so vulnerable.

He hated it. It was the reason his brother was only a pile of dust. It was the reason that he was the only one left of his hatch. The Younger was now the Only.

Great. Only. Notch, how he hated that name. Notch, how he loathed the creature clutched in his arms.

But he had to fulfil his brother's last wish. So he resisted the urge to throw the thing aside, and he continued to stride through the dark boughs of oak branches.

{"Stupid thing."} He muttered to himself, {"Stupid, pale, stubby-armed thing."}

Stupid thing or not, it needed a name. _Stupid, _he could call it. Or he could call it _Stub-Arm. _Or _Shrub-Face. _Or—

He stopped dead in his tracks. A low growl had sounded from somewhere to his right. _Shrveu, _he thought, as two, three, six zombies emerged from the bushes. Only froze, as if standing still would make him invisible to the undead that now circled him. He was about to make his move when, with a sound like a strangled dog, a zombie missing its jaw but clutching an iron sword staggered from behind the trees at his front.

The Zombie gestured at the bundle clutched in Only's hands. The zombie made no noise, but his meaning was clear: _give us the meat and no one gets hurt. _The zombie growled again, as if to say, _do we have a deal? _He looked at the Enderman, giving the great black beast some time to think. He looked at the Enderman; he looked right into his eyes.

Right.

Into.

His.

Eyes.

Only too late did the zombie realize his mistake. He raised his sword in defense, only to have it knocked aside, and before the other zombies could react, he was a pile of dust in the grass.

Only ran like Nether. He could easily outstrip six zombies, but he didn't know if there were any more in the trees. As must as he hated the bundle in his arm, he hated zombies even more. He raced towards the nearest Stronghold, the pearl in his chest tugging slightly towards the portal. He would be safe once he reached the End, but the only way that the human could get there was through the portal.

He found the Stronghold, and quickly warped to the portal room. The child winced slightly on reappearing, but he paid it no mind. Quickly, he put a hand to his chest, scales sliding to allow access to his pearl. He held it over the portal, which flickered to life after a few seconds. Hoping that all his work hadn't been for naught, he placed the pearl back in his chest, and leapt into the liquid-obsidian portal.

Holder sat in a ten-by-five-by-ten room, in the heart of the floating mass of the End. He heard the telltale sound of a portal being used; he heard the familiar _zzztp _of an Enderman warping into the room.

{"Ah, Younger! I see you found a hatchling! From Forresthomme, I assume?"} chuckled the old Enderman, {"So, where is Elder?"}

{"Actually, Holder, it's Only now. Elder… didn't make it back,"} replied the younger one, a note of bitterness in his voice.

{"Oh… oh my,"} said Holder, smile drooping into a sympathetic grimace, {"I'm… I'm sorry for your loss. You have known great loss tonight… but it is all for the greater good."}

In response, Only merely grunted.

{"So… the child… shall we christen it?'}

Another grunt in response.

{"I will perform the naming ceremony,"} said Holder in suddenly serious tones. He took the child in his arms and raised it high.

{"O childe borne on the bosom of Man and destined for greatness among the Endermen, child of the prophecy, bane of the tyrant. O child of destiny, borne among the power of our enemies, O vessel who will turn foe to friend, O end of our woes, I christen thee… **_ENDER._**"}

They both paused for a moment, the final word reverberating throughout the room, until Only broke the silence.

{"Dramatic old bastard."}

**A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA NEFENIA AMANISI BABA (FENYA WAI). ****That song was stuck in my head when I wrote the christening scene. Ha.**

** ANYWAY. This is how I plan on going about writing this story. Write a chapter. Get review. Write another chapter. Fix the first one while the second is being reviewed. Repeat.**

** Feel free to ask a question of me or any character in the review section.**

******ALSO: I NEED OCs. Feel free to create one and send it to me, I will try to use it. It may be a little early to ask for OCs, but I don't care. Here is the character sheet:**

Name (First and last):  
Nicknames:  
Species:  
Gender:  
Age:  
Date Of Birth:  
Birth Place:  
Current Residence:

Appearance:

Social Status-

Friends:  
Rivals:  
Enemies:  
Marital Status:  
Parents:  
Siblings:  
Other Family Members:

Abilities/Skills-

Weapons:  
Armor:  
Other (Name Other Abilities/Skills):

Strengths:  
Weaknesses:

Personalities-

With Strangers:  
With Family:  
With Friends:  
With Rivals:  
With Enemies:

Likes/Dislikes-

Likes~  
Food:  
Drink:  
Other (Name Other Things The Character Likes, For Example: Sleeping):

Dislikes~  
Food:  
Drink:  
Other (Name Other Things The Character Dislikes, For Example: Darkness, Spiders):

Backstory:

** Hotchas,**

** -Ender**

** (P.S Not the one in the story but me. Names can be shared. Like Dave can be a name for like, six people.)**


	3. Chapter 3: Assimilated

**A/N: If you didn't notice, in the last chapter I added a character creation sheet. Use it. Use it like a ten-dollar prostitute, and your character might end up in ****_The Ender _****(The story, not the character. No cannibalism!) as a minor or, at THE VERY BEST best, a secondary character. Also, if you have not read my profile:**

**NO SECKS!**

**So! Wee little Ender found his way to the Holder of knowledge! And I don't know why I keep finishing chapters by writing in a Scottish accent. **

**Also I need a name for the guy who shot Elder and Rose.**

**BUT THE CHAPTER BACONS! I MEAN BEGINS! (So hungry)**

A boy of fourteen sat on the floor of a ten-by-five-by ten room made of Endstone. He was sitting, listening to the aged Enderman who had been his teacher and keeper for fourteen years. The Enderman, Holder, named so because of the deep expanse of knowledge he held, was currently explaining how young Endermen, when they were deemed worthy, received the ability to teleport in a ceremony called the Pearling.

"… so, after the head of ceremonies finishes his speech, the young Endermen are made to lay on the ground, and the pearls are placed on their chest. After about three 'hours,' as the humans would call them, if they have remained perfectly still, only then will the pearl take."

The boy cocked his head quizzically.

"What do you mean, 'take?'"

"It means that the pearl will then be absorbed into their chest, granting them the ability to teleport."

"Whoa…" said the boy, obviously in awe, "How do they even get the pearls?"

"They get them from the crystals, the ones atop the towers. Every fifty years, each crystal gives three pearls. The pearls only last a day unless they are bonded to someone. If they are not used in the Pearling, they simply wither away," said Holder, gesturing to emphasize his point.

"Wow. When's the next Pearling?

"It should take place in about two years."

"But what if they—"

"All in good time, Ender, all in good time. But for now, let us continue with your lessons in Endertongue."

Holder began talking about the rules preterit verbs, and Ender slouched farther onto the floor.

[]

Later, that night, as the boy lay sleeping on the floor of the room, two Endermen strode silently across the surface of the End.

{"…honestly, Holder, what do you even see in the boy? He has shown little to no improvement in any areas, whether they be fighting, history, or even our language. If it were up to me, I would have thrown him back into the world from whence he came."}

{"You know we cannot do that, Only."}

{"But—"}

{"It seems you need a reaffirmation of faith. Walk with me."}

Only mumbled something about how it was easier to warp there.

{"Yes, but I find that when one rushes everywhere, one misses the important things."}

{"Crazy old bastard."}

[]

They arrived at an odd construction of Endstone and Obsidian. Holder walked through the three-block high door, and beckoned for Only to follow. Only, rolling his eyes, complied. When he entered, he found Holder gazing at the back wall, which had a carving on it depicting a human with a glowing sword in its hand impaling a dragon. He stared at it for a second longer, then began to read the words carved underneath.

{"_When the Dragon is at the height of its power, and all Men of the World Hunt the Men of the End,_

_ Take from the mightiest fortress of Man a child, for the child taken from the greatest enemy shall yield the greatest peace,_

_ And the child of both dimensions shall bridge the gap between the two, toppling the tyrant, freeing the End."}_

He finished the reading the inscription. Both Endermen fell silent. After a moment, Only spoke.

{"But do you really think that such a weak child could amount to anything this great?"}

Holder paused for a moment before answering.

{"I know so."}

[]

_TWO YEARS LATER_

Ender stood on the surface of the End for the first time. He walked around, finally free of the constraints of his room. As he wandered, amazed at all the space, Only and Holder had a hushed argument.

{"You can't honestly think that this will work!"} hissed Only, {"the Pearling only works on Endermen!"}

{"It has only ever been _tried _on Endermen,"} corrected Holder, {"Never on a human."}

{"You're mad!"} exclaimed Only (Ender looked up, Only quickly hushed his voice), voice shaking with static, {"You could get him or even us caught and killed!"}

{"He will not be caught,"} said Holder, although he looked slightly unsure, {"It is a private ceremony, and the ceremonies master is blind."}

{"But what about the others participating in the ceremony?"}

{"The hopefuls are placed far enough apart that he won't be noticed. He will not be caught,"} repeated Holder.

{"Are you sure that—"}

{"This ceremony only takes place every fifty years. It is our only chance."}

{"Fine. Send the boy to his death, see what I care."}

{"He is well versed in the languages of both Men and Endermen, and has more patience than many—"} he glanced at Only {"—others. He will be fine."}

{"I am not so sure."}

[]

Ender stood at the back of a line containing two young Endermen and himself. Seeing as he could be caught and killed, he was reasonably anxious, but the two Endermen in front of him paid him no mind. In fact, they seemed to be as nervous as he was, with one of them looking like she was going to vomit (he hoped she didn't, an Enderman vomit looks disgusting and smells like charred flesh) and the other one repeating instructions to himself over and over again.

He waited there in that line for what seemed like two eternities, trembling slightly, before an old, scarred Enderman approached the three of them. He grasped the first one by the shoulder, who gasped and stopped muttering to himself. As the old Enderman whispered something to the young one at the front, who looked worried, and then fearful. He heard the old Enderman's whispers of good luck, and then the sound of warping.

_And so there were two, _he thought to himself. He tried to remain as quiet as he could, but finally the oppressive silence cracked him.

{"What do you think they're going to do to us!?"} he exclaimed in Endertongue, before clamping his hands over his mouth, realizing his mistake.

{"Please don't talk to me,"} responded the female Enderman, without looking at him.

_That's fine with me, _he thought. It _was_ fine with him, at least until the silence cracked him again a minute later.

{"What do you think happened to that other guy?"} he said, again in Endertongue.

{"I said _please, _for the love of all things holy, do not talk to me."}

He clamped his hands over his mouth once more, and, as an added protection, shoved his hand in his mouth. He gagged, and a combination of nerves, and the thought of how ridiculous he must look standing behind an Enderman with his hand in his mouth, made him begin to giggle. He continued to giggle as the old Enderman approached once again. He clapped his hands over his mouth once again, but continued to laugh even as the old Enderman whispered his good luck to the female Enderman at his front. _Shrveu, _Ender thought, as she hissed and began to turn around.

{"WOULD YOU KINDLY—"}

But he did not hear what he would kindly do, as there was a sharp _zzztp _and she and the old Enderman were gone.

And so he was alone.

** A/N: Ugh. I don't really like the last couple paragraphs here, even with the Bioshock reference. **

** BUT! I am glad to announce that, in the next chapter, we finally leave the End! Ugh, that place is boring. All Endstone and towers.**

**ALSO! I haff decided to put {Endertongue} in brackets.**

** SO! I am still accepting OCs, questions, and anything else that anyone would like to provide.**

** AND I may not post a new chapter in a day or two, because I am going to fix up the last couple chapters.**

** You have been forewarned,**

** -Ender**


	4. Chapter 4: Changed

**A/N: Finally we escape the End! And into the Overworld!**

**I am really eager to write about Ender's experiences in the Overworld, and I think his interactions with the bits he doesn't know about will be especially fun to write. **

**Anyway. Words. Writing. Here it comes.**

And so Ender waited. He waited, as the oppressive silence pressing against him. He waited, as ominous thoughts flew around in his head like bats. His waiting ended after what seemed like forever, when the old Enderman approached again. He grasped Ender's right shoulder, and whispered to him,

{"Listen carefully to me, young one. You are about to go through an ordeal which every Enderman must endure before they reach their full potential. The trial is simple in the telling, but the deed is difficult. You are, simply put, to lay on the ground for a time until the pearl that I shall place on your chest is absorbed into your body. Do you understand me?"}

{"Y-yes,"} Ender gulped.

{"Then I wish you the best of luck,"} said the old Enderman, bowing his head and with a loud _zzztp_ he teleported to somewhere unfamiliar to Ender.

{"The spot where you now stand is the traditional ceremonies ground of the Enderman,"} sighed the old Enderman, as if reminiscing of a better time {"We have been performing this ritual since before the humans arrived in the Overworld, and now it shall be performed on you. Lay on the ground, stomach up."}

Ender did so. The old Enderman produced a pearl from a satchel that Ender had not seen before. He placed the pearl on Ender's chest. Ender grunted at the sudden weight on his chest; the pearl was heavier than it looked.

{"I wish you the best of luck,"} said the old Enderman before teleporting away.

[]

It had been about five minutes before Ender started hearing voices. He wondered if he was going crazy, before he realized the pearl was whispering to him.

"Tá tú i ndán do rudaí is fearr, leanbh. Ná tabhair suas ar do rompu."

He did not understand the language, for it was neither the language of Men or Endermen.

"Beidh tú aghaidh ar dhúshláin níos mó ná riamh tá duine ar bith eile sa saol seo."

The voice was getting louder, and the pearl heavier, but he didn't mind. The song was soothing, like a lullaby from some faraway land.

"Beidh tú a bheith feall, agus nuair is cosúil go bhfuil tú bhuaigh, nach ísle do garda."

He felt his eyelids lower, and he dropped into the strangest dream he'd ever had.

[]

He was sitting in a field of purple grass, surrounded by shadowy figures, some smiling, some frowning and some grimacing. He sank through the purple field into a black one, which burst into flame. He put up his arms to protect himself, and watched them as they were burned to black. As he stared at the charred flesh of his arms, the two worlds came together and pressed against him. He heard someone scream, and the realized it was him.

[]

He awoke with the sting of a thousand knives in his chest. He tried to scream but there was no sound, he tried to move but found he couldn't. The pearl was screeching in a harsh voice.

"LEANAÍ, IS TÚ AN AMHÁIN DE DO COMHCHINEÁIL. BEIDH TÚ BE AN DROICHEAD IDIR AN DOMHAN NA FIR AGUS DEIREADH."

The pain spread across his chest from the center. He felt thick flesh spout up where the pain had touched his flesh. He struggled against and an invisible and unmovable force, but it did not relent.

"BUACHAILL, NÍ MÓR DUIT BHEITH LÁIDIR. DUILLEOGA MO CUMHACHT. MIAN LEAT MÉ ÁDH MÓR MAITH"

The force relented. Ender sat up quickly. The pearl had disappeared, but in its place was the black, scaly flesh of an Enderman. He looked at his trembling hands, which had turned black as pitch. He touched one of them to his chest and felt hard, black scales. Finally, his hands moved almost involuntarily to his face, and when he touched it, he found that the right side of his face was that of an Enderman.

_OhmyNotchOhmyNotchOhmyNotch. _He thought. _What happened? This wasn't supposed to happen! I wish Holder was here, he'd know what to do. I miss my room, I want to be in my room—_

As soon as the thought of his room finished forming, he felt a tugging in his chest. The world tuned black and purple, and shifted beneath him. The mass beneath him slowed, and the stopped, before the world changed back to normal with a _zzztp_, and he found himself back in his room. Holder was there, facing the wall and fiddling with something.

{"Oh. Hello, Only,"} said Holder (it took Ender a moment before he realized Holder didn't know what happened yet), {"Has Ender completed his pearling yet?"}

Ender was too stunned to say anything. Holder turned around.

{"Only? What's—Oh my!"} Holder gasped, {"What happened to you?"}

{"I don't—I don't know,"} stuttered Ender, {"T-There was a voice, a-and then I fell asleep, a-and t-then…"}

He trailed off, shuddering.

{"What? What happened then?"} prompted Holder in a soft voice. Ender took a deep breath and continued.

{"The voice started yelling,"} continued Ender, in a less shaky voice, {"And then it hurt. Then… then it stopped, and—and I was like, well, this."}

{"Hmmm…"} sighed Holder, gazing off into space, {"What did the voice say?"}

{"I… couldn't understand them."}

{"I see… I assume the pearl took?"}

Almost instinctively, Ender raised a hand to his chest. The newly-formed scales there shifted, and then in his hand was a pearl. It took him a moment before he realized that it was the one that had laid on his chest only minutes ago. Resisting the urge to fling the thing away, he showed it to Holder.

Holder looked at the thing before he motioned for Ender to put it back. Ender moved to do so, but as he did Only appeared in the room with a _zzztp_.

{"Holder, I heard you were—_herooreuk k'rvrek!"} _exclaimed Only, {"W-What happened to him?"}

{"I'll explain later. Meanwhile, get the dirt."}

Only mumbled something about how he never got to know anything first (and something else about how Ender was even more of a freak), but walked over to the wall. Fitting his fingers around a piece of Endstone, he worked the block out, revealing a small opening, which had a strange brown block made of material that Ender had never seen before. He retrieved it, and passed it to Holder.

{"This,"} said Holder, grasping the block, {"is dirt. It covers almost the entire landscape of the Overworld, the world in which you were born."

He placed the block, which became covered in a strange green hair-like stuff that Ender had never seen before.

{"Before you go, I want you to have this."}

He handed Ender a satchel, which clanked heavily.

{"This has everything you need in it. Remember what I've taught you and everything will be fine. Now, Ender, I want you to stand on this block."}

Ender did so. The green fuzz felt soft and natural under his feet.

{"Imagine yourself surrounded by blocks like this. Imagine them in giant mounds. Imagine them under your feet, the grass crunching under them as you walk."}

_That seems like a nice place _thought Ender. _So grass, that's your name. I like you, grass. Yes, surrounded by grass. I would like to be surrounded by grass—_

And with a sudden tugging in his chest, Ender was gone.

{"Do you really think he can do it?"} Only asked Holder.

{"We can only hope,"} Holder muttered.

[]

In a land in another dimension, Ender lay, surrounded by grass.

**A/N: Finally! Uhhgh, the End is boring. Finally. I get to write about what happens to Ender in the Overworld.**

** I'm STILL taking OCs as minor characters. **

** I'm STILL taking questions.**

** I STILL haven't gotten any of either of those things.**

** However, OCs go in PMs, questions go in the comments.**

** So in the next chapter we see Ender meet another person for the first time. That should be fun (mwehehehehehe).**

** Sorry I haven't gotten this chapter out earlier. I've been busy with school. Finals. Last week bullshit. That kind of stuff.**

** Over the summer the rate that I publish at might slow down as I'm working as a camp counselor this summer. Hotchas,**

**-Ender**


	5. Chapter 5: Discovered

** A/N: I really hate my brother right now. I've been grounded for about four weeks now (although my parents do allow me to write, thank God) along with my younger brother, but he just got un-grounded, and seems to think that if I even touch the internet, I'll start breaking the ban in every way possible. He won't even let me turn the Wi-Fi back on to publish new chapters. This is a typical conversation between us:**

** "Dude, turn on the Wi-Fi, I need to post this chapter!"**

"NO, I know you, you'll just get on YouTube and start using up all the Internet!"

** "Seriously, I need to post this chapter! I haven't added a new one in like, three days!"**

"NO!"

** "Fuck you, bitch!"**

"Don't call me a bitch, you're the bitch!"

** Ugh. So if you were looking for an explanation to my inactivity, there it is.**

** But enough about my boring personal life. On with the story!**

[]

Ender opened his eyes, and found his vision filled with blue. It took him a few seconds before he realized that he was looking at the sky. He liked the blue sky, it was much nicer than the empty blackness of the End. After gazing at the sky a bit he decided he should sit up and look around him.

He was in a forest of dark oaks. He couldn't see far due to the thick and low-hanging branches, but he heard voices in a language he hadn't heard in a long time. Something told him that there were two people, stomping through the woods.

"The hell was that noise?" said the first.

"I dunno," said the second, "Sounded sourta like an Enderman."

"Couldn't ah been that. I know what and Enderman sounds like; that was different."

"We might as well see what it is. Can't be any harm."

"Famous last words. C'mon, let's check it out."

He heard the footsteps get closer. He started to panic; they probably wouldn't listen to anyone with a face like his. He glanced around for a bit before diving into a small bush at his left.

{"_Shrveu,"_} he muttered under his breath.

"The Nether was that?" said the first voice. Ender shoved his fist in his mouth, but quickly pulled it back out with a yelp; the scales on his hands had extended into sharp points.

"The Nether was that?!" said the first voice again, louder this time.

"It sounded like a Enderman. Maybe—maybe we should turn back."

"No, no you wanted to do this, you go forward."

"Asshole."

_Nononononono please no don't do that _thought Ender. But, despite his best attempts at thinking the man away, the second man began to sneak forward. He figured he was out of options.

{"Don't come any—"} he realized he had been speaking in Endertongue when the man exclaimed in fear- "Don't come any closer."

"AAAaahh. Oh, dear Notch, you scared me. What the Nether are you doing hiding in the bushes like that?"

"I was—I—I was just—"

"No, you know what, I don't care what you're doing," said the second man as the advanced on where Ender was hiding, "I'm going to kick your—"

The man's mouth dropped open in a small _o _of surprise. He had seen Ender.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble—" Ender tried say.

"AAAAAAAAAARRGHHHHHHHH!" screamed the second man, sprinting off in fear.

"Quinten, what the—" yelped the first man as the second man, Quinten, ran into him at full speed.

"T-there was a—it was a—it was a—"

"What? What was it?"

"I—it—it was a—b—b—"

"Ah, shut up, I'll see what it is myself."

He pulled out a stone sword with a soft _shh _and stepped forward. Ender sighed resignedly; these guys didn't give up.

"Look," he said, "I don't want any trouble."

"What the Nether is wrong with you, boy? You damn near scared Quint to death. Get out here."

"I—I can't do that."

"Well, why the Nether not?" said the man, sneaking forward. (It didn't do him any good, he was still very loud)

"I—I, um—"

The man seemed to pinpoint his location. He lunged forward with a yell and then recoiled with a yelp; he had found Ender. Ignoring Ender's attempt at a stuttered explanation, the man swung his sword wildly at Ender. Ender sighed again. _I'll_ _probably end up having to fight this man_, he thought, ducking under a wild swing aimed at his neck. He teleported behind the man and raised a fist, the scales on his hand raising up into sharp points. _Aim for the neck, just like Holder taught you_ he thought, smashing his fist into the back of the man's neck. The man collapsed, neck bleeding profusely. _Oh no _thought Ender, realizing what he had done, the scales on his hand coated in red blood. _Ohhh no _he thought, as the second man looked at his fallen comrade for a second before drawing his sword and charging at Ender.

Ender ducked and dodged the man's clumsy sword swings, marveling at how fast he moved. Hadn't Only said that Ender was the worst fighter he'd ever seen? Maybe it had something to do with his transformation due to the pearling, he thought.

He was snapped back to reality by the flat side of the man's sword. He stumbled, dazed but unhurt, although the man apparently thought differently, because he pressed forward. He swiped at Ender's midriff, but Ender simply warped behind him. The man whirled to face him, but was met with a spiked fist to the jaw, and crumpled in a heap.

Ender stood, panting, and looked at the mess around him. The first man was lying face down in the dirt, moaning in pain, and the second man, Quinten, was laying still in a very scary pool of blood. _I need a disguise_, he thought, not wanting to repeat this experience. He wondered what he would use for one for a second, before realizing the answer literally lay before him. He searched the two men for clothes, taking from the first one a tattered dark red jacket, and from the second a worn pair of blue cloth pants.

Something moved in the bushes behind him. He looked around before noticing that the sky was no longer the blue of day. Night had fallen, and he realized that he couldn't leave the men there, helpless as they were. He didn't know where they came from, but there were two sets of tracks leading off into the distance. He grabbed the men by the feet, and followed the tracks.

He walked for maybe ten minutes before night fell. He expected to be blinded by the darkness as he always had been, but discovered that he could see perfectly. Marveling at his new abilities once more, he continued to follow the tracks, until he heard a low growl from somewhere on his right.

Two green men emerged from the brush. _Zombies_, thought Ender. Holder had taught him about these. They usually avoided Endermen, but they must have been attracted by the scent of the bleeding men. The zombies rushed at him, Ender knowing that he couldn't fight them and protect the men at the same time. He quickly warped onto the nearest tree. The first man semiconsciously groaned in pain. _I guess people aren't made for warping, _he thought. _Running it is then._

He lifted the two men onto his back, grunting at the sudden weight. He ran over the thick canopy in the direction he had last seen the footprints coming from. Seeing a light in the distance, he sprinted towards it, but the branches beneath him snapped under his weight and he fell to the ground.

He smashed into the dirt, winded from the impact. Two zombies turned in his direction. Seeing the men he carried with him, the zombies ran at him, arms raised. He got up and ran towards the light.

[]

Burntoak was normally a loud place at night, and tonight was no different. Relatively well-to-do for an Outsider settlement, it sat about a chunk from the dark walls of Forresthomme. Inhabited by about fifty-or-so people, it was composed of several houses, a bar, two churches and a blacksmith. As with most nights, most the noise was coming from the bar.

Bruce Miner-Outsider sat at his usual place at the back of the bar. He sipped his beer and cringed; the wheat harvest had been lean this year, and the beer sure tasted it. He set his mug down; there was no reason to finish such an awful brew. He decided to leave the bar, said goodbye to his friends, and went home.

[]

Ender made it to the light, which turned out to be a village. As he sprinted into the town, zombies hot on his tail, he looked for somewhere to safely drop off the men. He heard shouts and saw people with swords running, but not at him. He looked behind him as the zombies chasing him were demolished into dust. He dropped the men off next to one of the bigger buildings and looked for somewhere to hide.

[]

Bruce arrived at his home. Ian was sitting on the front porch.

"I would go in there if I was you," Ian whispered.

"Dad's drunk again?" asked Bruce. Ian nodded. Bruce sighed and walked inside, ducking under a shoe thrown by his father.

"Hi dad," said Bruce in casual tones. His father responded with the other shoe, which crashed through an already-cracked window (Bruce heard Ian yelp and fall over).

"You can't keep getting drunk like this, dad. Seriously, we can't afford all the windows."

"Y-you think th-that just b-b-because—" his father belched loudly, then continued in the same slurred voice, "—b-because y-your m-my son you can- *_hic* _-y-you can -_*hic* -_y-you—"

"You're drunk, dad, you don't know what you're saying."

"I-I know wha-what I'm s-saying you little p-prick… y… I don't…"

His father began bawling.

"Dad maybe you should just—aw for crying out loud, can you—would you stop it!?"

His father began crying even louder.

"I-I m-miss her! I j-just want her b-back…"

His father began sputtering unintelligible gibberish. Bruce patted his father on the back.

"I know dad, I know. You just can't…"

He trailed off; his father had passed out. He sighed and began hauling his father upstairs. He put his father to bed, and called for Ian to come inside.

[]

Ender looked for a place to hide. Pulling his hood low, he ran through the streets of Burntoak, glancing at the houses for a possible hiding place. Finally he came across the place: a house in tatters, windows cracked and shattered, covered in vines and the door half opened. It had to be abandoned, he thought, so he went inside, not bothering to be stealthy.

[]

Bruce sat up. He hadn't been able to sleep; his father was snoring. Someone had just entered their house. _Looters, _he thought. Looters were common in Outsider settlements, and there was an easy solution to their crimes. He grabbed a stick from beside his bed and crept downstairs.

[]

_This place is perfect, _Ender thought. _This place is trashed; I shouldn't be disturbed here. _He picked up a broken piece of glass and studied his reflection. _Huh, _he thought, tilting the glass. _I didn't know my eyes were purple_. He twisted the glass a bit more. Something in the reflection caught his eye, he looked closer. Someone was sneaking up behind him, a large stick clutched in their hands.

He whirled as the person struck. He threw up and arm to block; the stick shattered. The man looked at the broken stick in his hands, bewildered, and then Ender was upon him. He clapped a hand over the man's mouth and slammed him against the wall, lifting him off the ground. Ender's hood fell and he raised a fist, prepared to knock the man out. The man whimpered, kicking his legs.

"Bruce?" called a sleepy voice from upstairs. "Is everything alright?"

Ender lowered his fist. He couldn't knock the man out now; he'd be caught. He lowered the hand over the man's mouth to his throat, still holding him against the wall.

"Alright, here's how this is going to happen," He hissed to the man, putting on his best attempt at a mean look, "I'm going to put you down, and you're going to say 'yes.' Then you answer me a few questions and I'll let you go. Do we have a deal?"

The man nodded quickly, legs still kicking. Ender dropped the man, who fell to his knees, gasping for air.

"Is everything okay, Bruce?" the voice repeated.

"Everything's fine, Ian," Bruce coughed. He got to his feet, dusting himself off.

"Now," said Ender, pushing the door open, "shall we take this outside?"

[]

"Where the Nether am I?" growled Ender.

"Yeesh, no need to be so damn hostile," said Bruce, rubbing his neck, "how can I be sure you aren't going to kill me after I answer your questions?"

"You can't be."

"Well that's comforting. What do you want to know anyways?"

"Where am I?"

"Do ya mean city or biome, ya freak-faced nutjob?"

"Both. And go easy on the insults."

"Fine. Shrub Face. You're in Burntoak, the biggest shit-hole this side of Forresthomme."

"The Nether is Forresthomme?"

"You don't know Forresthomme? I would've assumed that you we from that area, based on how pretty your face is. And how ugly your clothes are. And how…"

Ender growled. Bruce kept talking, oblivious to the interruption.

"…and your hand smells."

"Whatever. Tell me about Forresthomme."

"Fine. Biggest city in the land. 'Bout a chunk-or-two that-a-way. Can I go now?"

"No."

"Well, screw you too, ya panty-wearin', big-nosed cow."

"You talk too much."

"Get over it. Next question."

"Can I stay here?"

"What? Nether no."

"Let me rephrase that: I'm staying here."

"I said NO."

"I need somewhere to lay low for a bit."

"Why?"

"I almost accidently killed someone."

"I don't want a murderer in my house."

"It was an accident! …And I didn't kill anybody."

"I said no."

"Fine. How about a compromise?"

"I'm listening."

"I do something for you, and you let me stay here."

"I said n—"

"Hey assholes!" said a voice. Bruce whirled around and glared at the person suddenly standing behind him.

"What are you doing here, Devon?" snarled Bruce.

"Touchy, Touchy," tsked the man, Devon, "You know, you really shouldn't speak to the Leader's son like that."

"You the son of the head of some shithole in the woods nobody cares about; like Nether I'm going to respect you."

"I'd watch that tongue if I were you, or someday you might find it not in your mouth. Speaking of tongues, who were you talking to?"

"I was talking to—"

He turned around. Ender was nowhere to be seen.

"—nobody, it seems," Devon finished, "I always knew you were crazy, just like your drunk father."

"Don't you say a word about my father!" shouted Bruce.

"Temper, Temper, Bruce. Keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you."

And he walked off, leaving Bruce shaking with rage. Ender stepped out from behind the tree he'd been hiding behind.

"You _really _don't like that guy."

Bruce said nothing. Then he turned around, grinning broadly.

"Buddy," he said, "Do I have a deal for you…"

** A/N: CHAPTER LENGTH INCREASED TO 23**

** Hooray! **

** If you didn't look at the word count or get the Elder Scrolls reference above, my chapters are getting progressively longer.**

** Thanks again, Flu! I like Bruce. He works well with Ender. Thanks for sending him to me!**

** Uuuuhgh why can't school be out yet? I want more time to write and play video games.**

** Bet you can't guess what Bruce is going to ask of Ender. Bet you can't. You can't.**

** I'm going to get on the next chapter. Fun times.**

** Hotchas. **


	6. Chapter 6: Accused

** A/N: I really need to get to sleep. It's midnight-thirty here in Missouri. Can't sleep, but I need to get some rest for my driver's test and the presentation I'm giving to my school's principal. Bleh. Sleep is for the weak and those without insomnia. **

** So I keep writing! I better get a lot more readers from this. Onward to the next chapter!**

Ender and Bruce sat at the nearly-ruined table in the middle of Bruce's house. Bruce sipped his drink, a fizzy brew called kombucha. He looked at Ender over the rim of his mug, as if attempting to read him.

"The Nether happened to your face?" Bruce said after studying Ender closely for a while. Ender sighed; Bruce had asked him this question six times in the past hour.

"I already said, I can't tell you."

"Hmm," Bruce grunted, putting his mug down, "Where are your parents from?"

"I never met my parents."

Bruce sipped his drink.

"Huh. You know anyone from around here, anyone at all?"

"Nope," said Ender, shaking his head, "I just sort of… ended up here, where everyone wants to kill me. Which reminds me, why didn't you run off when you saw my face, like everyone else did?"

"I dunno," said Bruce, shrugging, "Guess I've seen too much shit down in the mines to be scared of anything up here. Like how, this one time, me and Lila had to go get some sheep that had fell down a mineshaft—"

Ender's eyes glazed over as he listened to Bruce's babbling. He didn't know this man very well, but Bruce had no small amount of long-winded stories to tell.

_ "Tá tú i ndán do rudaí is fearr, leanbh. Ná tabhair suas ar do rompu."_

Ender looked up.

"Bruce?"

"_Beidh tú a bheith feall, agus nuair is cosúil go bhfuil tú bhuaigh, nach ísle do garda."_

He had heard this voice before, he knew it. Bruce stopped his story and asked what was wrong, but Ender didn't hear him. His head slipped off of his hand and he blacked out.

He was sitting in a field of purple grass, surrounded by shadowy figures, some smiling, some frowning and some grimacing. A smiling figure separated itself from the group and stood at Ender's side. He sank through the purple field into a black one, which burst into flame. He put up his arms to protect himself, and watched them as they were burned to black. As he stared at the charred flesh of his arms, a great beast rose from the burning field. It lunged at him, and the two worlds came together and crushed the two of them.

Ender shot up, screaming. Bruce flinched and slipped, banging his elbow as he fell, muttering curses as he stood up. He rubbed his elbow.

"The Nether was that?" asked Bruce, "I ain't never put anybody to sleep before, so either I've gotten boring or there's something up with you."

"I—I haven't slept in a couple days," said Ender, which wasn't completely untrue, "I must have passed out or something."

"Oh. Okay."

He didn't seem to completely believe Ender.

"Bruce?!" yelled a voice from upstairs, "Who're you talking to?"

"Nobody!" Bruce yelled back, "It's just the guy to fix the house!"

"You said we couldn't afford a craftsman!"

"We can't, he's just… doing me a favor!" he said, then turned to Ender and whispered, "That isn't actually the thing I have for you to do."

"Okay. Dad's still asleep," added the voice.

"Then why the Nether are you yelling, Ian!?"

"I'm not yelling, you are!"

"You're yelling now!"

"But I wasn't before!

Ender cleared his throat.

"It doesn't matter! Now shut up, I need to talk to this guy!"

"What guy!?"

"I told you! The craftsman!"

"Oh. Okay!"

Bruce turned back to Ender, who was shaking slightly from suppressed laughter.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing—nothing," said Ender, getting hold of himself, "What is it you wanted me to do anyways?"

"Sit down and I'll explain," Bruce sighed, "This is the one story I don't like telling."

[]

"It was about sixty, seventy years ago. I wasn't alive yet, of course, so I don't know what really happened, but from what I've heard, it was about then that a blood feud got started between me and Devon's families. No one really remembers why it got started; some say that it was when Devon's grandmother married into our family without permission, others say that my great-grandfather stole the diamond that hangs above their family's door. No one really knows exactly what happened, just that our families have hated each other for years. It started out with just a few rocks thrown and insults exchanged, but about forty years ago, my grandfather was murdered in cold blood. Well, that sparked a full-scale war. Everyone in the village took sides, but when the then-leader, Andrew, was killed, everybody lost their nerve. The feud was forgotten by everyone. Everyone except Devon's dad, Quint, and—"

Ender coughed into the kombucha he'd been drinking. He started coughing and sputtering, and Bruce started whacking him on the back.

"What is it? What's the matter?"

"It—it's just that—"

"BRUCE MINER-OUTSIDER!"

Bruce flinched, and Ender knew why, he'd heard that voice before. He heard banging at the door. Bruce gestured for him to hide, and, seeing no other option, he ran upstairs.

"BRUCE MINER-OUTSIDER! OPEN THIS DOOR!"

"THE NETHER DO YOU WANT, DEVON!?" roared Bruce.

Ender heard the sound of wood breaking and the sound of a struggle downstairs.

"Bruce Miner-Outsider," said Devon, and Ender could feel the malice in his voice from upstairs, "You are hereby accused of the murder of my father—"

"WHAT!? I DIDN'T MURDER—"

The sound of a fist striking flesh echoed upstairs.

"Shut up. You are hereby accused of the murder of Quint Chief Leader-Outsider. You will be put on trial this Friday, and executed later that day, for—"

"NO!"

Ender was nearly knocked over as Ian sprinted down the stairs. There was the sickening sound of a body being slammed against something, and then the sound of breaking wood. Ender risked a glance downstairs and saw Devon standing over Ian's unmoving body, the shattered remains of a chair in his hands. Bruce choked and began sobbing, dropping to his knees only to be picked up by the two men holding his arms. Devon continued talking.

"You will be put on trial this Friday, and executed for murder. Death by hanging," Devon finished, and evil grin spreading across his face.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Ender heard Bruce roar, "YOU HAVE NO PROOF!"

"On the contrary, I can do anything I want," said Devon, smile widening, "I'm the leader. Take him away."

"ENDER!" screamed Bruce, voice cracking, "HELP ME! YOU WANT YOUR FAVOR? KILL THIS SON OF A BITCH IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE TOWN, KILL—"

There was a dull thud, and Bruce stopped yelling.

[]

FRIDAY

Ender stood in the village square, hood pulled low. Bruce was going to be tried, but it didn't look like the trial would be fair; they were already building a gallows. Ender knew what he had to do. He was going to kill Devon.

Ian stood at his right, head bandaged but chin up. Ender had (without letting Ian see his face) taken Ian to the local healer, and explained his plan to him. He was going to kill Devon, where everyone could see, while at the same time, Ian would burn the gallows, so they couldn't hang Bruce if Ender failed.

He got into a line of people filing into the town hall. The town may have only had fifty citizens, but everyone seemed to have shown up. _Good, _Ender thought. _The more the better. _He walked into the town hall, where the trial was already taking place. Bruce was bound and gagged in a small cell, and a woman stood at the witness stand, giving a testimony against Bruce.

"…always knew there was something funny about him. Just had that look about him. Probably got it from his mom, she was always a little wacko—"

"That's bullshit, Maria!"

"Shut up, Lila," said Maria in a drawling voice, "As I was saying, I was feeding the chickens—"

"You don't have any chickens!"

"Shut UP, Lila! I wassn't feeding _my _chickens, I was feeding someone else's, doing my good turn—"

"You ain't done a good turn in your whole damn life!"

"SHUT UP, Lila! Now, as I was saying, I was feeding the chickens at the house across from the church, when I sees this shady fella, Bruce, walk up behind Quint, who was coming back from hunting. He goes to cut 'em up with a sword, but Quint turns around and he accidently hit's him in the neck, killin 'em."

"What about Jacob? He was found lying next to Quint! He'll tell us what happened!"

"Well, Jacob ain't too conscious, isse?"

The people began booing. Devon, sitting at a desk across the room, banged his fist against the tabletop.

"Quiet! QUIET!" he yelled, "Bruce, based on all the evidence I've seen today—("Bullshit!" yelled Lila)- for the crime of murdering my father—"

The doors closed. The town hall was full; now was the time to act.

"—I pronounce you to be—"

It was now or never. Ender concentrated on the spot behind Devon, and in an instant he was there. He lowered his hood. Somewhere in the crowd a woman screamed. Devon whipped around. Ender grabbed his head and, without saying a word, snapped his neck.

Devon was dead before he hit the floor. Everything seemed to stand still for a moment. Then the town hall was in chaos. Everyone ran for the door and three guards with stone swords advanced on Ender, but he didn't care. He quickly warped into the cage, landing on Bruce, who gave a small _oof._ Ender reached down and grabbed Bruce, warping outside.

"Thanks," said Bruce, rubbing his wrists and coughing, "I didn't think you'd actually do it. When you didn't help me at first, I thought that you'd chickened out."

Ender didn't say anything. He was too busy looking down at the gallows, where a commotion was going on.

"_Shrveu," _he muttered to himself, "We gotta help your brother."

[]

Down at the gallows, Ian was in trouble. He lay on the ground, nose bleeding and woozy. Maria stood over him, hands bloody.

"Trying to commit a little arson, are we?" she said, holding up the flint and steel, "We can't have that. Being the deputy around here, it's my job to punish wrongdoers. And I've decided, as deputy, that arson is punishable by death!"

She grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up the gallows steps. Ender warped to the bottom of the steps, Bruce in tow. Bruce winced and fell over.

"Ow… let me run next time, that hurts," he said, gasping for breath.

"Sorry," apologized Ender.

"She's—she's getting away!"

"What about you?"

"Just help my brother! I'll be fine!" wheezed Bruce.

Ender nodded and ran up the steps. Maria stood at the top, attempting to put the noose over Ian's head.

"These people want a hanging?" she yelled, finally putting the noose over a struggling Ian's head, "I'll give them a hanging!"

She stepped over to the lever for the trapdoor Ian was on. Ian was attempting to get the noose off, but it was too tight. She grabbed the lever, murder in her eyes. Ender warped over and she jumped in surprise, letting go of the lever. He clenched his fist and felt the spikes rise, and punched her in the nose. She staggered, then fell flat on her face. Bruce, having finally recovered, ran up the stairs.

"Oh, thank Notch," sighed Ender, "I thought you were a guard. Get your brother loose."

"Hello to you too," muttered Bruce, but went to untie Ian anyways.

Maria stirred. Ender went to stop her from getting up. As he leaned over her to knock her out, she lunged at him, tackling him to the ground and pinning his arms with her knees.

"See how you like this, Endy-boy," she said, pulling a sword of her back and lifting it above her head, prepared to stab Ender.

Ender flinched, waiting for the sword to swing down, but it never came. He opened his eyes and saw Bruce struggling with Maria for control of the sword. She pushed him away and raised the sword, poised to strike, but was tackled by Ian. He attempted to pin her but was slammed in the forehead with the hilt of her sword. She got up and advanced on Ian. She prepared once more to attack, but stopped when she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned and was punched in the face by Ender. She reeled only to be punched again by Ian. She stumbled, and was met by yet another punch by Bruce. She ping-ponged between the three, back and forth, facepunch after facepunch. Ender punched her again, then Bruce, then Ian. Bruce, Ian, Ender, Ian. Bruce punched her one last time, and she collapsed onto the trapdoor. Ender pulled the lever, and she fell through, landing with a sickening crunch.

Bruce looked down at her, still breathing heavily.

"Well," he said, looking up, "what do we do now?"

"Can't stay here," said Ian, hands on his knees.

"You should be fine, Ian."

"And why's that?"

"Well, me and Ender are wanted for murder. You didn't technically do anything. Stay here, make sure dad's okay."

"But I want to go with you!"

"Too bad."

"But—"

"Dad can't live on his own. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but you need to stay and take care of him."

Ian paused for a bit, chewing on his lower lip.

"Fine," he said, after a bit, "I'll stay. But you have to promise me you won't get hurt. Okay?"

"I promise," he said, giving his brother a hug, "Make sure Lila doesn't miss me too much, okay?"

"Okay," said his brother, returning the hug.

Bruce turned to Ender.

"So," he said, clapping his hands together, "where to now?"

"Forresthomme," said Ender.

"Forresthomme, of course," said Bruce, as if it was the obvious answer, "Ian can get some supplies from our house. Then we can go! I've never been, but this one time…"

He started babbling on about how he and his friend Caden had gotten lost in the woods. Ender rolled his eyes and Ian sighed, and they walked off towards Bruce's house. No one said anything (except for Bruce, he was still telling his story), until Ian asked Ender,

"The Nether happened to your face?"

**A/N: Finished! Proofreading time! Uhhg. I do like how this chapter turned out, though. Ender doesn't talk much, but Bruce does, they work so well together.**

**Also, I have received, since the last chapter, no less than three OCs. That is amazing, and a huge jump, but, I am only planning on using one of them. The other two were very nice, but really had no place in this story, and by that I mean that they were good characters, but belong in a different story.**

**Questions! Not necessary, but I would like some. But if you can only send a question, or an OC, send an OC. Especially Forresthommers and maybe Outsiders, and possibly even Endermen. **

**Also! I got my iPod back, so I can use that to upload pictures of the newly-drawn cover as soon as I get home, and maybe I'll make a deviantART profile to upload more drawings. Maybe.**

**I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA! Maybe after I finish writing **_**The Ender, **_**I can write some of the things that happened to Bruce and Lila, maybe give them a little more backstory. **

**That's all, thanks.**


	7. Chapter 7: Entombed

**A/N: So I recently got the YouWillDie Mod for Minecraft, and I started a new world to use the mod with. And guess where I spawned. In a birch forest. But when I walked a little more, I found a dark oak forest. I walked even more and found a taiga forest! I found the area where all three met, and I set up my home base there. So I'm starting what might eventually end up as my own version of Forresthomme! I find that very awesome.**

**SCHOOLS OUT! F*** YEAH!**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to put out. I recently downloaded the Diamond Dimensions mudpack and have been playing it non-stop, AND I'm now working on the staff of a Boy Scout camp**

**But anywalrus, on with the story!**

**P.S (quick explanation for the walrus, I left my computer alone for maybe eight seconds and my little sister changed anyway to anywalrus. Thanks, sis.)**

"Can we stop yet?"

"No, Bruce, for the umpteenth time, no."

"We've been walking for days!"

Ender and Bruce were in the woods, heading west. They had been walking for about an hour and a half, and Bruce had complained the whole time, about how heavy his backpack was, about how much his feet hurt, and, in general, how stupid he was to have been convinced to come on this trip.

"Why did I even come on this stupid walk!?" Bruce moaned.

"Would you rather have died?" countered Ender.

"Yes!"

"I have half a mind to kill you right now."

"Please! I hurt everywhere!"

"Bruce, we haven't even been walking for an hour yet."

"Can't you just warp us there?"

"No, people aren't made for warping."

"Uhhhhhhhghahuh. Can't we just find a house or something?"

"In the middle of a forest? I don't think anyone's crazy enough to live here."

Bruce sighed; Ender was probably right. He looked up at the sky, which had turned from a pale blue to a dark orange. Every instinct in his body told him to get to shelter.

"Ender?" he asked, glancing around nervously.

"What now, Bruce?" Ender sighed.

"Should- shouldn't we get inside?"

'We're almost there, just a couple more hours."

"It's getting dark. May- maybe we should find shelter."

"Will you shut up if we find some shelter?"

"Yes!"

"Fine. Let's find a cave or something."

They walked for a couple more minutes, craning around trees, but there were no caves in sight. Bruce was getting more nervous by the minute. After what seemed like hours, Ender froze so suddenly that Bruce bumped into him.

"Ow!" Bruce yelped, "Watch it! You have a hard head!"

"Get out your shovel," said Ender, ignoring Bruce's complaints, "there's a cave here."

"How the Nether do you know?"

"I don't know how I know. Just get out your shovel and dig."

Grumbling and rubbing his nose, Bruce did so, and after digging down a couple blocks was rewarded with a small cavern, about five blocks tall and twice as wide. Whooping in joy, he jumped into the cavern.

"All clear!" he yelled up. Ender warped down next to him with a soft _zzpt. _He glanced around the open space as Bruce rustled through his pack._ Doesn't look like there's anything here, _he thought. _Might as well find somewhere to sleep. _He slipped his pack off and looked for somewhere to set up his sleeping bag. After a few seconds of searching, he found a decent spot next to a pile of rocks. Laying his sleeping bag on the floor, he crawled in. Suddenly feeling very drowsy, he realized he hadn't slept in four days, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the ground.

[]

Down in a cavern less than three blocks below the surface, something stirred. A corpse, left in the dark, moved stiffly from under the pile of rocks it was entombed in. A consciousness, slight, but still there, buzzed in the back of the dead man's mind. He felt nothing, and then a hunger, deep and harsh, throbbing from his center. He wanted, no, he needed that hunger to be satisfied. He shifted, and heard stones clattering to the floor. Upon lifting his arms, he found that he was buried only under a thin layer of rock. A single word, mangled and slow, was uttered from the corpse's mouth.

"_Meat…"_

He lifted his head, tasting the air around him. Something lay on the floor next to him, something that smelled like…

"_Meat."_

The corpse uttered again, stronger this time. The meat on the floor smell different, wrong, but he didn't care. He was too hungry to care. He grasped at the meat, and his hands found a neck. The corpse could feel the air flowing through the meat's neck. His cold hands tightened.

"_Meat!"_

[]

Ender was sitting in a field of purple grass, surrounded by shadowy figures, some smiling, some frowning and some grimacing. A smiling figure separated itself from the group and stood at Ender's side. He sank through the purple field into a black one, which burst into flame. He put up his arms to protect himself, and watched them as they were burned to black. As he stared at the charred flesh of his arms, a great beast rose from the burning field. It lunged at him, and He leapt upon it. A black sword appeared from the sky, and he reached for it, but a pair of hands, cold, dead hands, sprung out of nowhere and began

choking the meat. The air in the meat's throat slowed to a stop. The corpse was so close to getting his meat. If only it would stop

kicking and flailing, Ender woke. A green face, strained with effort, looked him in the eyes. He felt a twinge of anger, and gave a mighty push, knocking the thing

off balance, the corpse stumbled. The meat was fighting back, and he didn't like it. He raised his arms and advanced on the meat, which was

gagging and coughing, Ender yelled to wake Bruce up, but he remained stubbornly asleep. The green man rushed him, tackling him and

pinning the meat to the floor, the corpse wrestled his prey's hands to the ground. It clenched its fists, and spikes rose, stabbing the corpse's hands, but it paid them no mind. He was too close to his meal to be concerned with how loud the meat was

screaming for Bruce to wake up, Ender clenched his fists, but the beast seemed unaffected by the spikes. The corpse was pinning his hands, and in a last-ditch effort, he grabbed a rock with his left hand, and flung it as hard as he could before he was pinned. It struck Bruce in the head, and he finally woke.

"What the Nether…?" he muttered, still half asleep.

"Help me!"

Bruce snapped awake. A zombie leaned over Ender, mouth open, attempting to bite him. Bruce glanced around the room, looking for something to kill the zombie with. His eyes fell on something gleaming in a pile of rocks; he ran to it, and found a cold blue pick lying in the rubble. The zombie's mouth was only inches away from Ender's face. With no time to think, Bruce swung the pick as hard as he could. With a disgusting splat, the pickaxe sunk into the back of the zombie's head, and the monster fell, gurgling, to the floor.

Ender rose, rubbing his wrists.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," said Bruce, planting his foot against the back of the zombie's head. With a disgusting squelching sound, he pulled the pick out of the corpse's brain. Ender glanced through the hole in the celling. The sky was a bright orange.

"You ready to go?" he asked Bruce.

Bruce twirled his newly found diamond pick.

"Forresthomme, here we come," he said, climbing out of the hole, "let's hope we don't meet anything else on the way."

Ender warped to his side.

"We can only hope."

**A/N: FINALLY! I spent way to long on this chapter. I apologize for the wait, but I am working a full-time summer job. Ugh.**

**Anyway! Still accepting OCs, still accepting questions. That's pretty much it.**

**Here's hoping I don't take this long on the next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8: Captured

** A/N: Okay, so I took that long. Sorry. I do have a full-time summer job, so that's a bit of an excuse.**

** I liked that last chapter. That was a nice chapter. I also like the latest chapter in Flu's ****_Ears to Hear Us._**** If you haven't read it yet, I would highly suggest it. **

******I'm going to try and increase the length of my chapters to about 3,000 words. Current word count (at least on Word): 11507. Use that as a marker, me.**

** Now, on to the next chapter!**

Jaeger sat at his sister's grave, seventeen years after her death. He'd visited her grave every year since that day, under the cover of darkness. He knelt, still as a rock, and whispered to his sister's grave.

"Hi sis," he whispered, quiet as the surrounding night, "how are you doing up in the Aether?"

He paused for a second, as if listening to her answer.

"Fine, thanks. I'm still on the run, though, and I miss you every day."

He paused again.

"I'm not turning myself in, Rose. That man deserved what he got after killing you."

Another pause.

"I love you too. Bye."

And he kissed the soil above her grave. The sun began to rise so he did the same. He paused to lay a rose on her grave, then pulled his hood over his face and left the graveyard.

"Happy Birthday."

[]

Ender and Bruce stood shoulder to shoulder, faces turned upwards, squinting at the monstrous gate that lay before them. Twenty blocks high, between a staggering pair of stone-brick towers, it stood a towering testament to Forresthomme's wealth.

"I've seen some gates in my life," said Bruce, "But this one takes the cake. _Damn, _are those emeralds they've got there?"

He pointed to one of the many jewels inlaid in the doors. Ender had to agree; it was one impressive entryway.

"It's impressive and all, but," Ender said, "But how do we get in?"

Bruce seemed to think for a second, and then, as if on cue, a voice yelled at them from the top of the wall.

"Who goes there?"

"We're just—" Bruce paused, before whispering to Ender, "_What should I say?"_

"_Tell him that we're just simple merchants_," Ender whispered back.

"We're just simple merchants!"

"What are you doing here?!" yelled the voice.

Bruce turned to Ender again.

"_What are we doing here?_" he whispered.

"'_We're only looking for a place to stay._'" Ender whispered back.

"We're only looking for a place to stay!"

"Alright. Entry's four emeralds!" the voice yelled.

"Four emeralds?! Are you nuts?!"

"Would you rather stand out there!?"

"Fine! I'll find some emeralds!"

"Better be back quick or the price will be higher!"

Bruce turned to Ender.

"_What are we going to do? I don't have four emeralds!"_

_ "Just distract them. I've got a plan."_

He concentrated on the tower to the right, which appeared to be empty. The world moved around him and suddenly he stood forty blocks above the ground, inside the dark tower. Pleased with himself, he took a step forward only to find that he'd accidently warped onto a bookshelf, at the bottom of which he now lay. He'd landed on something soft, thankfully. He looked down to see what it was. He gasped; he'd landed on a sleeping guardsman.

The man woke, and found Ender laying on top of him. He opened his eyes wide and his mouth even wider. A scream began to rise from his throat and then died as a black, scaled hand clapped over his mouth. The man started flailing about, but Ender held firm, and tried his best to replace his look of surprise with a look of menace. It worked, the man whimpered and started flailing harder. Ender grinned; he could use this. He held up a hand and clenched his fist, the man kicked harder and his eyes widened in fear at the sight of the rising spikes.

"Scream," growled Ender, putting as much malice as he could muster in his voice, "And die."

The man whimpered once again, tears streaming from his eyes.

"You're going to tell me how to open this gate," Ender growled, "or I'll rip you to pieces. You got me? Now start talking."

[]

Holder sat in his room, fiddling with something in the corner. He heard the unmistakable sound of and Enderman warping into the room, and turned, grinning. There stood Only, looking grumpy as usual.

"Ah, Only, you're back. How is Ender doing?"

"Fine, for someone as idiotic as him."

"Now, now, you don't mean that."

"Suit yourself, he just hasn't seemed right ever since I used him to kill a zombie when he was a baby."

"You what?!"

"I'll tell you some other time."

"Fine, fine. How is he doing, though?"

"He's almost made it into Forresthomme."

"Good, good. And his companion?"

"I'll see that they're separated."

"Very nice."

"I still don't understand one thing."

"And what is that?"

"Why did you have me kill the man, I think Quint was his name, that Ender injured?"

"Ah… sit, I'll explain."

Only did not sit.

"Fine, fine, stand then. It's very simple. I had you kill that man so that Ender would think that he did it, to let him get his first taste of blood."

"Why?"

"If he is to slay the tyrant, he needs to be able to kill. It's as simple as that."

"Oh… I see then."

And so Only left. Holder turned back to the thing in his hands. He twisted a key and opened his hands; out flew a miniature model of the dragon.

"Simple as that… pfeh, what a fool."

The dragon flew in front of him, he reached out a gentle hand, and, upon grasping the thing, crushed it.

[]

Ender stood at the top of the right tower, gazing across to the left one. The man, bound and gagged, lay wriggling on the floor behind him. The man_ had_ told him the way to open the door, the only question now was how he would manage it. For the door to open, the buttons in both towers had to be pressed almost simultaneously. He couldn't warp over there, someone might hear him. He paced the room, trying to think of a plan. Distracted with his plan, he didn't notice the shelf on his right, and bumped directly into it. A box labeled _Donations _fell from the shelf and burst open, spilling its contents everywhere. Emeralds, gold bars and even a couple diamonds slid across the floor. He grinned. He'd found his way through.

Bruce sat waiting at outside the gate. Ender had been gone for about two minutes now, and the guard at the top of the gate had been getting more annoying by the second.

"Right then!" the guard was currently yelling, "That's two minutes! Price's now _six _emeralds!"

Bruce rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure that he was being conned, but there was nothing he could do about it. He just had to wait for—

_Zzztp_

_Huh. _He thought. _Speak of Herobrine and he will appear, I guess. _He walked over to the trees where the sound had come from.

"Ender, thank Notch," he said, pushing branches out of his way, "That guard was getting _so—_"

He stopped. He had not come face to face with Ender, but with an Enderman. The monster looked as surprised as he did for a second, but then its face contorted with rage. It grabbed at his head, but he ducked, and the beast's long fingers grasped empty air. Bruce turned tail and ran. The Enderman chased him as he ran in front of Forresthomme's door, and he shouted up at the guard.

"OPEN THE DOOR!"

"That'll be eight—"

"YOU ARREN"T GETTING JACK SHIT IF THIS THING RIPS ME TO BITS! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

"Alright, but the price's ten emeralds once you're inside!"

Bruce heard the click of a button. The Enderman drew closer.

"The other guard didn't press his button! The door won't open!"

"ARE YOU SHITTING ME!?"

"Hang in there! We'll get the water cannons ready!"

The Enderman drew even closer to Bruce. He put on a burst of speed, briefly gaining ground, before the Enderman was upon him. It struck him a vicious blow to the head with the back side of its hand, knocking him to the floor. A dazed Bruce barely felt a hand grasp the front of his shirt; he barely felt himself being lifted into the air. He only heard the soft _zzztp _of warping before his eyes rolled into his head and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Ender emerged from the bushes, donations box in his hands.

"Bruce! Bruce?! Where are you! I found our way—"

He dropped the box. Bruce was being held aloft by a familiar black figure, screaming in a familiar voice.

{"Kill it, Kill it! How _dare _it! What kind of insolent _fool _has the absolute _gall to—"_}

Ender didn't get to find out what kind of fool would have such gall. He was too busy tackling the enraged Enderman to the ground.

{"Snap out of it!"} he yelled, attempting to pin the screaming figure, {"Let go of him!"}

{"How _dare _it!"} the Enderman screamed louder, voice crackling with static, {"I will teach it its _place!_"}

Ender sighed. Seeing no other option, he cocked back his arm before slamming the base of his palm into the Enderman's jaw. The Enderman gasped in pain, stunned for a second, before thrusting its arms forward, sending Ender flying. He slammed into a tree and fell to his knees, breathless. He rose, wheezing and shaking, and saw the Enderman lifting Bruce above its head. Bruce's limp arms dangled for a second, before the Enderman dropped him, thrusting its knee into the base of his spine. A sharp crack resonated throughout the forest, and Bruce's limp figure fell to the ground.

Time seemed to stand still for a second. Ender didn't feel himself warp to the spot behind the Enderman, but he was suddenly there. His hands seemed to move by themselves, reaching up and grasping the Enderman by the wrists. He was suddenly in the air, ten blocks above the ground, the Enderman seeming as surprised as he was at his actions. Ender swung his arms down, moving his foe beneath him as they fell. He planted his knee squarely in his opponent's back and slammed him into the ground. There was a crunching like beetle shells and the Enderman screamed in pain. The Enderman writhed on the ground for a bit in agony before rising, slowly, with shaky breaths and fists clenched. He glared at Ender in rage. It was a look Ender had seen many times before. It was the signature look of…

{"Only?"} Ender asked aloud. The Enderman flinched; it was definitely Only. Only opened his mouth as if to say something, an explanation, maybe, before the air around them ways filled with water.

It was agony like Ender had never experienced. A thousand pieces of hot glass were shoved in between his scales; molten metal poured in his eyes. He barely heard the sound of Only warping away over the sound of someone screaming. His mind was empty of everything but pain. The water stopped, and he collapsed. Vision fading, the last thing he saw before he fainted was someone running towards him.

[]

Bruce woke in an oaken room, the soft light of a torch on the wall shining on his face. He was in a soft woolen bed, lying on his back.

"—think that we can patch him up?" said a voice, the first thing Bruce heard after two days of unconsciousness, "He's hurt pretty bad."

"I can patch up anything," scoffed a second, deeper, voice, "For the right price."

A door opened somewhere. Someone walked in the room and stood next to Bruce.

"Hello there," said the second voice, "My name is Francis Healer. How are you doing today?"

Bruce coughed and tried to sit up. Francis placed a hand on his chest and forced him back down.

"Don't strain yourself too much. Now, what is your name?"

"Bruce," said Bruce, pausing for a second, "Bruce Miner-Outsider."

"Ah, an Outsider! Don't see to many Outsiders around here. We're going to fix you up nicely. But first we need to do a small diagnosis. Can you lift your legs for me?"

Bruce nodded. He first attempted to raise his left, then his right legs. Neither seemed willing to comply. He looked at the Healer, worried, but was not comforted by the solemn look on Francis' face.

"Hmm," said the Healer, poking Bruce in the leg. Bruce felt nothing. The Healer examined Bruce a bit more, poking at his legs and back.

"Hmm," the Healer said again, "It seems that your back is broken. Normally you'd never walk again, but we do have a procedure for this."

"How much is this procedure going to cost?" asked Bruce.

"About a hundred emeralds," responded the Healer, grinning broadly.

"I… can't afford that."

"Oh," said the Healer, smile fading, "I see."

He turned to the door and exited. Bruce heard him say something which sounded like an order before the door burst open and a large man dressed in iron armor entered the room. He grabbed Bruce by the collar and hauled him out of the bed. Bruce's legs dragged the ground as he was hauled from the warm wooden room into a cold stone lobby. The man kicked a door open and shoved him through. His arms flailed and his legs dangled uselessly as he was flung through the air into the street. He splashed into a muddy puddle as the door was slammed behind him. Coughing and gagging, he spit out the disgusting water as he pushed himself up. He raised his head and saw a man, black-clad and hooded looking down at him.

"You look like you could use some help," said the man, extending his hand.

[]

Ender was sitting in a field of purple grass, surrounded by shadowy figures, some smiling, some frowning and some grimacing. A smiling figure separated itself from the group and stood at Ender's side, but was pulled away by a mass of black hands. He sank through the purple field into a black one, which burst into flame. He put up his arms to protect himself, and watched them as they were burned to black. As he stared at the charred flesh of his arms, a great door rose from the burning field. It opened and a great beast emerged. It lunged at him, and he leapt upon it. A black sword appeared, but as he reached for it the beast turned and raked its claws across his chest.

He woke up screaming, causing the two men who had been standing next to him to jump back in surprise. His chest itched where he had felt the beast's claws rend him, but he couldn't scratch, his arms were tied to the table he laid shirtless on. He realized that the two men were still there, and apparently were having a furious argument.

"—thought it was dead! I'm not dissecting this… _thing_, whatever it is, until it's dead! This is too dangerous!"

"Your being a fool, Trey. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and you want to bail on it just because of one little scream when you cut it."

"I'm not bailing, I'm just suggesting that we kill it a little bit more."

"Stop being such a scaredy-ocelot and help me—oh wait, it's awake."

"I wonder if it can talk?"

"I don't know. Let's see."

The man began gesturing wildly in Ender's face.

"Can… you… speak… understand… me…?" he said, acting out each word. He looked Ender in the face, an expectant expression on his face. Ender felt a twinge of annoyance.

"Get your hands out of my face, asshole."

The other man, Trey, started giggling. The first man shot him a look and he shut up.

"Well," said the first man, adjusting his glasses as if nothing had happened, "He can definitely talk. I wonder, does this mean we still get to dissect him?"

"Perhaps we can have him back when the guards are done with him?" piped up Trey, "He would definitely be deader than before."

"Perhaps," said the first man, stroking his chin, "but I think we have to call them in first. I'll call the guards."

He walked over to a series of pipes and spoke into one labeled _Guard Outgoing. _Ender didn't know what that was, but he didn't like it. He focused on the spot behind the second man, Trey.

"Guards, could you come down here please? We have a bit of a situation," he said, not hearing the commotion behind him, "Our patient needs to be… sedated."

He turned back to the table only to find Ender gone and his colleague bleeding on the floor. He rushed back to the pipes but never made it, a spiked hand came down and struck him in the head before he could. His glasses flew off his head and shattered against the floor. Ender grabbed his shirt from a nearby table and crashed through the door to the room, knocking over a woman pushing a cart and a man holding a glowing yellow potion. He heard yelling behind him, he looked over his shoulder and saw guards chasing him. He crashed through the cold stone hallways, not knowing where he was going. Somehow he made it to the lobby of the building, only to find a guard clad in iron armor. The guard looked at him for a second, and the he rushed him.

Ender had no choice, the guards behind him were growing closer. He put up his fists, spikes extending menacingly. The guard did not slow down, but continued to rush headlong at Ender. He jumped to the side and the guard barreled on. He stopped inches from the wall and turned to attack Ender again, but before he could, four black spikes were plunged into the side of his throat. He fell, choking on his own blood, and died. Ender burst through the door outside to see a man extend his arm to the cripple on the ground. The man looked shocked for a second, and then pulled out a blackened iron sword. Ender raised his fists again, prepared to fight. A crackle of static seemed to rush between them, and then they were upon each other.

** A/N: And so they meet! Ah, Story, I love writing you. **

** Once again, sorry for how long this took to post. Working a job and writing a story is a hard thing to juggle.**

** I'm still accepting OCs and Questions. Speaking of questions, Son of The Herobrine asked:**

Will my father appear in this, or is it souly ender?

**I don't really plan on including Herobrine as a character, but he might appear in some of the story's mythology.**

** Anyway, that's all I have for now! Net chapter will come sooner this time, I promise!**


	9. Chapter 9: Resistance

**A/N: First of all, I would like to apologize for my far-too-long, and, if I may note, ****_involuntary _****hiatus. For my job (summer camp merit badge instructor), I live in a cabin with three other guys. One of them happens to be a huge douche and hid the battery of my computer in his camp box because he convinced himself that I stole a box of his vanilla cookies. Asshole. He can go get fucked in the ear. Get hearing-AIDS.**

**But now that I've take my anger out on this authors note with that frankly terrible pun, I can finally get to work. I've been reading my old chapters and A/Ns, and realized I was—how can I put this—a fanfic/writing noob. I'm probably going to go back and revise my non-spelling/grammar errors and generally try to make my old writing better. After I'm done procrastinating. This chapter is going to provide some much needed information through the use of flashbacks, American idioms (they're the only kind I know, so If any non-'Murican readers are confused, just ask for a definition and I'll add it in my next A/N), and maybe an iron golem. So, I once again apologize for the lengthy hiatus, and provide you with the beginning of this next chapter of The Ender.**

_12 Years Ago_

A young man, hooded, covered in blood, and glowing slightly was banging on a door with the hilt of his sword. There was no answer. A person might wonder why he wanted in so badly, if they had not yet noticed the current deluge of icy-cold rain. He stood on his right leg, the other one's knee being broken so badly that the bone protruded through the skin. It was a wonder that he was conscious at all, for the pain would have most likely been too much for any normal man. He banged even harder, and the point of impact began to splinter. Still nothing. He pulled back his arm, ready to strike with all his force, before the door swung open. An elderly man, short and skinny, stood in the opening.

"For Notch's sake, will you—baahg!" the man jumped for cover behind the door. The knocker relented, arms falling to his sides. The man stepped out from his impromptu hiding spot, "Notch above, you damn near scared the life out of me!"

"Sorry. It's just too damn wet out here."

"Well then, speak the password."

"Seriously, Ben?"

"It's protocol. And you know how bitchy Cedar gets when protocol isn't followed."

"Bah, she always has a stick up her ass."

"Just state the damn password."

"Fine."

He leaned forward and whispered something in Ben's wrinkled ear. The old doorkeeper nodded and allowed him to pass.

"See you later, Ben."

"Just see you get your leg fixed up before you run out of charge."

The young man nodded and proceeded on into the stone halls of the building. Tapestries plastered the walls, with leather-clad men on either side every hundred blocks or so. They inclined their heads respectfully as the man passed, but he paid them no mind. Following the repeating picture of a golden sword over a crossed arrow and wheat bundle, he approached the central chamber of the labyrinthine structure. He made a motion, as if to knock on the iron-inlaid door, but instead scraped on the door with the nail of his left little finger. It swung open and he found himself face to faceplate with a man in full iron armor.

"Captain Jaeger," the man said, voice muffled slightly beneath his helmet.

"Hello, Arnold." Said Jaeger, bringing two fingers to his brow in a miniature salute.

The iron guard stood aside, allowing access to the room. Jaeger strode into the room, limping slightly. A tall woman with brown skin leaned over a wooden table. She didn't seem to notice him for a second, buried in thought as she was. He coughed into his hand, and her head snapped up.

"Oh, Jaeger, it's you." She sighed, "Stressful night, I'm more strung out than a squid-nose after a raid. It's just, we've had two attacks on the settlement, and the men have apparently figured out how to make alcohol by lettin' a poison potion ferment for a while, then addin' gunpowder. Notch above, as if they didn't have enough ways to kill themselves already."

"Can't be worse than the time they tried to mix gunpowder with redstone to make grenades."

"Aye." She muttered, pressing her fingers to her temples. She glanced down at his mangled knee. "The fuck did you do to your leg?"

"This?" he said, glancing down at the wound. "Guard captain had a sword with knockback. Hit me in the head with the hilt, and I fell of the wall. Lucky this was all I got."

"You got your man, though?"

"Aye." He grinned, pulling his sword out of its sheath, just enough to showcase the bloodstains. "Top tower, just like you said."

"Pfeh. Nobles never change, thinking that just because they're at the top that they're entitled to look down on others."

Jaeger rolled his eyes.

"That's a little dramatic, Cedar, dontcha think?"

"Bah."

"Doesn't matter. Baron of Westside's dead, one less corrupt man in the world."

"And you're doin' a fine job of shrinkin' that number. Who knows, we might even let you get the bastard that sent you to us, eh?"

"Yeah…"

[]

Jaeger still remembered that night as if it had happened yesterday. He had killed the man who had loosed a careless arrow into his sister with the very bolt that had been used to kill her, and had been marked as a traitor and a murderer on the spot. Beaten nearly to death by his own lieutenant and left to die, the resistance movement known as the Black Sword had found him. They offered him a deal: they save his life, and all he had to do was work for them. So he enlisted in their ranks, rising steadily until he joined their most elite unit: the Red Scarves. Identifiable by the masks they wore and the same piece of clothing that gave them their name, they were given the privilege of power and speed beyond that of any normal man, via the injection of liquefied redstone. These injections, known as "charges," give the Scarves enhanced strength, speed, agility and healing, along with the inability to feel all but the most extreme pains, but when a charge wears off, they fall into a deep sleep.

[]

Jaeger staggered to his bedroom, drinking a his healing potion as he went. The wound in his knee was almost fully healed, but _damn, _did it hurt. He flopped down on his bed, not bothering to pull the covers over himself. He was snoring before his head hit the pillow.

[]

_Present Day_

_The End_

Only staggered into Holder's chamber, holding his back and swearing loudly in Endertongue. Holder glanced up from what he was doing; Only bumped into the wall and swore even louder.

{"Only! What happened?"} exclaimed Holder, standing up and steadying the other Enderman, {"Were you attacked?"}

{"Yes,"} grunted Only through clenched teeth, {"By that little s_hrveu _you call Ender."}

{"What? Why would he-?"}

{"His little friend looked me in the eyes."}

{"Oh…this is not good. He saw you."}

{"My back is killing me, thanks for caring. Why would the little runt attack me? I didn't do anything to him!"}

Holder looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning to Only.

{"Have you ever heard of _courigvu_?"} he asked. Only scoffed.

{"Even the littlest hatchling knows that. It's the reason why we kill, whether it be the insult of looking in our eyes or in self-defense. We're all born with it."}

{"Yes, well, I have a hunch about Ender's _courigvu._"}

{"And what might that be?"}

{"Humans are born with a sense of morality, one that dictates what is right and wrong to them."}

{"And your point is?"}

{"I think his _courigvu _might be affected by his sense of morality."}

{"How would that even work?"}

{"How many others has he hurt or killed?"}

{"Three that I know of."}

{"And were they doing anything when he attacked them?"}

{"One attacked him in the forest, another was trying to kill his friend, and the third was attempting to kill his friend's brother."}

{"The first is standard _courigvu. _The others, including his attack on you, I think were affected by his morals."}

Only looked at him for a second before speaking.

{"That,"} he said, {"Is the craziest load of dung I've ever heard."}

[]

_The Overworld_

"Stop, stop, STOP!" screamed Bruce, "The NETHER are you doing, you CHICKEN-HUMPING moron?!"

The hooded man had his hands around the young… whatever Ender was, Bruce didn't really know—But the man had his hands around Ender's throat, and was lifting him in the air. Dodging Ender's wildly kicking feet, Bruce clawed at the only thing he could reach, trying to get the man to stop.

"Stop scratching my leg and let me kill this monster," The man growled, squeezing harder.

"Quit killing him!"

"Why? It's a monster."

"Stop killing my FRIEND!" yelled Bruce, punching the man as hard as he could in the leg, but succeeding only in breaking his own hand. He let out a strangled yelp and cradled his hand in his armpit. The man looked down to see what was wrong. Ender seized the opportunity and spiked the man in the arm. The man roared with pain and dropped him. Ender collapsed to the ground, coughing hoarsely. The man kicked him in the stomach, winding him. He attempted to advance, but tripped when Bruce grabbed his leg.

"Gerrof me," the man muttered, pushing Bruce away; not hearing the _zzztp _of teleportation, "I gotta kill this thing so I can get to the Healer, before I run out of—"

He turned. His adversary was gone, probably hiding in the alley. He frowned; he didn't like loose ends. Ignoring the man in the puddle, he strode over to the doors and pushed them open. He noted the corpse of the iron guard. _Huh, _he thought. _Maybe that… thing was some sort of escaped test subject. _He stepped over the body and into the hall, his pace leisurely. Running near a crime scene was never a good idea, and he couldn't risk losing his target. The wound in his arm hindered him slightly, but he paid it no mind. Guards and nurses alike bustled past him, but he determinedly pressed onward. He found his target rapidly giving orders to the guards. Good. He was distracted. Jaeger increased his pace, hand on his sword hilt. His target was one hundred blocks away. Seventy blocks. Forty. Ten…

Francis Healer looked up a moment before Jaeger leapt upon him. One or two of the guards reached for their swords, but it was too late. Sword drawn and eyes flashing red, Jaeger kicked the healer to the floor. Francis crashed into a cart. He moved to stand, but a black iron sword stopped him where he lay. There was a clattering of something dropped. A nurse screamed. His target dead, Jaeger ran.

The guards couldn't keep up. Jaeger sprinted through the halls. He made it to the main chamber and burst through the door. The guards' shouts were far behind him, and the cripple still sat in his puddle.

"Well?" sighed the man from the puddle, "Are you gonna help me or not?"

Jaeger didn't have time to argue. He had to run, but he couldn't just leave the man, crippled as he was. So Jaeger grabbed the man by his arms and pulled him onto his back, and ran to the only safe place he knew.

[]

Ender watched as the hooded man pulled Bruce from the puddle, and started running to Notch knows where. He jumped down from his place on the low roof and sprinted after them. He dodged past carts and stalls. A few caught glances at his face and gave yelps of alarm. He paid them no mind. The hooded man stopped at a door. Ender increased his pace. A face peeked out from the door, and the hooded man whispered something in his ear.

[]

Jaeger stopped, bent over double. He had made it to the to the Black Sword headquarters. He rose, and called a guard over.

"Alex," he wheezed, "Take this man to the infirmary. I'm headin' to fuckin' bed."

With a curt "Yes, sir," Alex obliged. Jaeger stood up straight and began his walk to bed. A banging on the door stopped him in his tracks.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" sighed Ben, the old doorman, "Who is—aargh!"

A black form shot through the door, knocking Ben aside. A guard rushed forward, spear lowered. He fell in a second, face bleeding from five long scratches. Jaeger drew his sword. The monster from earlier faced him, fists raised. Jaeger held up his sword.

"Come at me, you freak-faced—"

His sword tip fell to the floor.

"Aw, shit."

And he passed out.

**A/N: Ahh. That felt good. The explanations for things happened! I love when that happens.**

** I'm now going to be adding new chapters on Mondays, because A. I get weekends off, B. Something to look forward to on Monday, and C. Setting a deadline will probably help me stay consistent with my postings.**

** Sorry there was no iron golem. There was gonna be, but I postponed him for the sake of the cliffhanger. **

** Sorry for how long that took. Sorry for saying sorry so much.**

** It's getting really confusing saying Notch instead of God in some of these expressions. I'm going to write one using God down below this line.**

** GOD DAMMIT.**

** Ahh, that felt good.**

** I'm starting to realize how fucking hard it is to devote myself to a project like this. I enjoy it, but damn, I never realized how busy I was before now!**

** (Insert joke about Americans never shutting up here.)**

** Hey, isn't America not completely failing at the World Cup this year?**

** *Jumps on bandwagon***

** WOO! 'MERICA!**

** …I should really switch to decaf.**


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